Ice Bowl XVIII Win at Talladega Short Track for Super Late Model Racer

In North Carolina, racers call Ray Cook the Tarheel Tiger. The Super Late Model division racer kicked off the 2009 season by capturing a $6,000 top prize at the annual Ice Bowl.

Ice Bowl Trophy win for Super Late Model Racer Ray Cook, courtesy of Thomas Hendrickson Photos
Ice Bowl Trophy win for Super Late Model Racer Ray Cook, courtesy of Thomas Hendrickson Photos
More than 400 cars participated in the race at the Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, Alabama. Cook competed against 93 Super Late Model cars in his division. “This race gets a lot of attention because it’s the first one for us,” said Cook. “We were out here for it the first week of January.”
K&N backed racer captured the top purse at the Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, Alabama, courtesy of Thomas Hendrickson Photos
K&N backed racer captured the top purse at the Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, Alabama, courtesy of Thomas Hendrickson Photos

North Carolina Racer and new MasterSbilt house car kick off 2009 Season with Ice Bowl Victory, courtesy of Thomas Hendrickson Photos
North Carolina Racer and new MasterSbilt house car kick off 2009 Season with Ice Bowl Victory, courtesy of Thomas Hendrickson Photos

Cook practiced a few days before the race to test out his new MasterSbilt house car. He then clocked in the second fastest time during qualifying and ran second in his heat race. Cook earned the outside fourth row starting spot in the 50-lap Ice Bowl main event.

The Brasstown, North Carolina native was prepared for the dirt track. He had his sights set on driving his D&R Motorsports # 53 with K&N air and oil filters to the front of the large field. Cook engaged in a side-by-side battle for the lead and took it on lap 36. Another driver took the lead away from Cook, but Cook edged past him on lap 42 to drive straight through to the win.

“Winning the Ice Bowl XVIII was a great way to bring in the new racing season,” said Cook. “The rain made the pits a muddy mess, but racing was great all weekend. Our K&N filters protected our engines from the flying mud and debris and gave us extra horsepower and great filtration. I’ve used K&N products for ten years and wouldn’t use anything else. I use K&N on my personal vehicles and in my race shop.”

Cook’s next event will take place January 24 at Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, Georgia. He hopes to collect a $5,000 paycheck in the Mid-Nite Oil Racing Fuel 50 Challenge.

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